Building a Brilliant Shopping App

Living in a modern world is challenge. People permanently suffer from the lack of time and seek for some ultimate and fast solutions to cope with their daily needs. Time-saving mobile apps are in huge demand right now. Shopping applications are not an exception. Even though the global web has evolved our shopping experience, modern consumers call for more effective tools to save time.

For this reason, developing an efficient shopping app can be a good idea for a startup. Online shopping has reached the new level featuring momentum services and app that let us pay with smartphones. We have self-driving grocery stores that "walk" around the city offering products on-the-go. Some biggest names in online shopping industry have already introduced their mobile services. However, it does not mean you cannot take your place in the niche with revolutionary ideas and features.

What Do Users Expect from a Shopping App?

A typical mobile shopping application is supposed to be a time-saving tool for users who want to proceed with fast online purchases by tapping the screen. Moreover, we all strive to save a couple of bucks using coupons, promo codes and vouchers. For this reason, you need to consider three essential factors for your future app in order to make it a success:

1. Convenience. A user-friendly interface and smooth operation of the web are a must-have. If it takes your users long to make a purchase, they will opt for a better alternative and never get back to your app.
2. Loyalty programs. We all seek for any possible economic advantages. The best way to attract your customers is to offer discounts, promo codes and other ways that let them put an ease on the wallet.
3. Combine the two above-mentioned features to provide the best users' experience.

Of course, you will hardly gain success with only a typical number of features. You need to think of some more advanced and unique options to stand out from your main competitors in the niche. Check some of our thoughts about an extended list of functions for a shopping app:

1. Spending Tracking System. Consumers want to know how much they spend. An efficient tracking system to monitor spending will be a good idea. You can integrate special metrics and analytics or simply send daily, weekly or monthly reports.
2. Shopping List. Another great feature for the shopping app you should never ignore. Some application remind users of a purchase they need to make. Customers are able to create their own schedules for a particular group of products or make a weekly list of goods. Built-in reminders are certainly a good idea to implement.
3. Geo-Location and Notifications. Real-life tracking and geofencing can be used to find the nearest grocery store or shop. Although the feature might be not very popular with users who prefer online purchases, it can still attract a group of customers. In spite of all superstitions regarding the geolocation technologies in a shopping app, they develop rapidly providing more opportunities for both developers and mobile users.

Additional Features for your Amazing Shopping App

We live in a mobile world where everyone looks for a space for self-expression. Social media networks are growing in demand. Startups also need to follow the latest trends and provide shopping applications integrated with social services.

In 2014, the research has shown that the majority of customers are concerned about discounts and coupons more than the way they sign up. However, the situation has changed drastically from that time. Users look for a fast and easy way to sing up. Integration with social networks and existing profiles will reduce the time necessary to get a full access to all your app's features.

Check our list of extra features that might help you to stand out:

• Shopping List - mobile apps prevent us from using a pen and a piece of paper. A digital list can keep all necessary products and items you need to buy. You can customize it in accordance with your preferences, add or delete products and set schedules using in-built reminders;
• Loyalty Programs - we are not talking of promo codes or vouchers. Grocery coupons are the right things to implement. You can use both paper and digital coupons to let your users save a couple of bucks on every purchase. They can be used to stimulate returning customers who start using the app less as well as attract new ones;
• Barcode Scanner - we all care about where our products come from. On the wave of new foodservice trends, we opt for healthier and more fresh options. This particular feature will let users learn as much information about the item as possible. Whether they need to find out the nutritional value to follow the diet recommendations or original material, barcode scanners will deliver the full information right to their smartphones. We have some great examples implemented in major shopping apps like ShopWell. It also used scanners for users who opt for healthier food options;
• Recipes - a built-in recipe book is a great idea to make your shopping app really stand out. Add it to your list of products and recommend some great recipes from the products available in the list. You can customize them in accordance with users' lifestyle, food preferences, diet and other crucial factors. A good example of this feature is implemented in Paprika recipe manager. It lets users store their favorite recipes and add new.

Now you know what features will make a shopping application successful. If you need to build it from scratch or hire proven professionals, contact our team.